Monday, May 05, 2014
After being in for most of this grey day, Greger suggested a spin out late afternoon. Stopping in one lay-by, I caught sight of a blue-grey raptor powering across a distant lochan and then across the brown moorland, where I lost it. Almost certainly a merlin.
Further on were two black-throated divers.
On the way home we stopped in another lay-by. On our last trip out this way, Greger had pulled in to close the car door. Glancing in the wing mirror, he saw an animal crossing the road behind us which he couldn't place. He felt it was cat-shaped but larger, so we've narrowed it down to otter - or wildcat! Nothing today, unfortunately.
***
The weather was much nicer on Friday, when we walked from home up this path behind the town, where the entire hillside is a blaze of gorse.
We walked as far as Loch Achall on the Rhidorroch Estate and sat on a grassy bank in the sun eating our lunch.
Nearby were at least three wheatears and four golden plovers. The walk was also enlivened by loads of willow warblers, several cuckoos, and a small flock of lesser redpolls.
// posted by Christine @ 11:48 AM 
